It Had Me In Stitch-es

Daniel, Dan, and I went to see Disney's latest animated offering, Lilo & Stitch, at AMC Pleasure Island. They graciously bumped Clones from the Digital auditorium for Lilo, and the 8:30-on-opening-night-show was crammed with devotees. (This was evident as early as the appearance of the Walt Disney Pictures logo. Cheering. Sheesh.)

This is perhaps the best Disney flick since The Lion King, purely for its heart. It's funny (hilariously so, at times, if not crudely so), it's sad (Stitch's eyes are oh-so-expressive for a genetically engineered alien), and the Disney in-jokes were fast and furious. If you go, look for the ubiquitous "hidden Mickey" in the earliest scenes of the film, as well as at least two Mulan references. (Mulan was the first film done at Disney's Feature Animation unit in Florida; Lilo is the second.)

I like (for once) Roger Ebert's take on the film — he gave it three-and-a-half stars — and especially the line:

If Scooby-Doo grossed $54 million in its first weekend, then if there is justice in the world, Lilo & Stitch will gross $200 million.

Go see it. Even if you're not normally a Disney animation fan. Besides, if the film does well, maybe my stock portfolio could see some upside for once (dang Employee Stock Purchase Plan, anyway).